The commander of a critical New Orleans Police Department division has been temporarily reassigned pending an internal investigation into possible "inappropriate instructions" he gave Friday to members of his squad, Superintendent Ronal Serpas said Sunday in a prepared statement.

NOPD Commander Eddie Selby

Details of the instructions delivered by Eddie Selby, commander of the Special Operations Division, were not immediately available.

NOPD spokeswoman Remi Braden said the officers were deployed "in the most popular tourist spots -- the French Quarter, hotel areas like the Central Business District and Downtown Development District." Those areas hosted a flurry of activity surrounding the Essence Music Festival Weekend, which draws a predominantly African-American crowd.

Serpas said Selby's removal followed a series of interviews that Deputy Chief Arlinda Westbrook of the Public Integrity Bureau conducted Sunday with SOD personnel.

"Additional investigative actions must occur so we can determine if any violations exist," Serpas said. "I take very seriously the command responsibility and professionalism of our leadership team."

Selby has been reassigned to the office of Assistant Superintendent Marlon Defillo, who oversees the Special Operations Division. The division is responsible for a slew of assignments, including homeland security, the bomb and canine units, and traffic duties ranging from DWI patrols to hit-and-run investigations to the management of school crossing guards.

An NOPD officer since 1975, Selby was one of 16 officials promoted in March to the new rank of commander, an upper-level management designation of supervisors who oversee the city's eight police districts and other divisions. Formerly assigned to the 8th District, he was among seven commanders elevated from the rank of lieutenant.

Shortly after his promotion, Selby's name was discovered among a host of well-placed officers -- including Serpas' son-in-law, his bodyguard and two other commanders -- who received payments in addition to their official salaries for reviewing tickets issued by the city's traffic cameras.

Records obtained by The Times-Picayune show that NOPD outsourced the traffic-ticket reviews to a company called Anytime Solutions that was incorporated Police Commander Edwin Hosli, a close family friend of Serpas. Anytime Solutions billed the city for more than $96,000 during the next five months, including hourly rates of between $35 and $55 for each of the 20 employees listed on some invoices, records show.

The invoices that include names list three police commanders as being on the "photo enforcement payroll" -- Selby, Hosli and Darryl Albert. However, for the billing periods provided to newspaper by the city pursuant to a public records request, Hosli was the only one of the three who billed for any work.

Under department rules, Serpas can unilaterally promote and demote officers into the commander position, a policy that chief has said creates more accountability. Commanders earn an annual base salary of $69,000, with some paid more because of their length of service, educational attainment and other incentives. Selby's salary was not immediately available.